Gray Quill
The Gray Quill is a traditional dry fly used as a general imitation of medium-sized mayfly duns. Rather than matching one species precisely, it can be effective during a variety of mayfly hatches when the natural insects have neutral gray or dun coloration. The fly is typically presented with a drag-free dead drift in riffles, runs, and slower feeding lanes. Gray Quills are commonly tied in sizes 12 through 18 and can also serve as a searching pattern when trout are rising but the exact hatch is unclear. The stripped hackle-stem body provides useful segmentation but can be fragile, so reinforcing it with fine thread or a light coating of adhesive can improve durability.
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Recipe
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Hook · standard dry fly sizes 12 - 18
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Thread · gray
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Tail · med dun hackle fibers
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Body · badger hackle stem stripped
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Wings · lemon woodduck flank
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Hackle · med dun